Sampling of surfaces is routinely done by companies that need to control the type and level of microorganisms and non-living contaminants (e.g., allergens) in their production environment. For example, in many food companies surface sampling is done in an effort to reduce the possibility of pathogens (disease-causing organisms) and/or spoilage organisms from environmental sources entering food products during production. The Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (4th edition), at pp. 25-30 discusses the rationale for environmental sampling, strategies for collecting a sample, and commonly used methods for collecting a sample. Another system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,266. Reference may be had to these publications and the documents referred to therein (including references cited) for representative known sampling systems and devices.